Some 250 pubs have joined the Grassroots Sports Champion programme, launched in March by PubAid and Sky to recognise and reward pubs’ support for local sport.
The programme is open to any pub involved in local sport, whether it hosts a pool or darts side, sponsors a football team, or puts on a post-match spread for the cricket side.
It’s free to join and pubs receive a marketing pack of staff t-shirts and window stickers to help them shout about their support for the sports that are so important to local communities. Pubs can sign up here.
According to a survey by PubAid, pubs contribute £40m every year to grassroots sport, either through direct sponsorship or donations, or in-kind support. With a lack of funding the biggest challenge for many local teams, pubs are providing a lifeline that helps clubs to stay afloat and enables thousands of people to play the sport they love.
Des O’Flanagan, co-founder of PubAid, said: “We’re delighted with this enthusiastic response to Grassroots Sports Champions. These pubs are providing invaluable help to local sports teams, who are frequently only able to operate thanks to their sponsorship or in-kind support, and they thoroughly deserve this recognition.”
One Grassroots Sports Champion is The Cresswell Arms, in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland. Last year, licensee David Haggerty started sponsoring a new Sunday football team. This had been set up by Nick Storey, a pub regular who works for Newcastle United Foundation.
David said: “Nick started the team as a way of combating social isolation and the mental health issues around it in our community, particularly among young men. It’s been amazing to see how these players, most of them in their 20s, have developed.
“Playing football once a week and socialising in the pub has connected them to the community, giving them confidence, social skills, and a new group of friends. And they’ve had a really good first season on the pitch too, losing in the league final by just one goal.”
